Sliding door construction



Oct. 14, 1941. R. .1 OLANDER SLIDING DOOR CONSTRUCTION Filed MaIOh 2l,1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 14, 1941. R, J OLANDER 2,258,713

SLIDING DOOR .CONSTRUCTION Filed March 21, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mil/1,.

Patented ct. 14, 194i SLIDING DOOR CONSTRUCTION Roland J. Olander,Chicago, Ill., assignor to W. H. Miner, Inc., Chicago, lll., acorporation of Delaware Application March 21, 1938, Serial No. 197,143

(Cl. 16p-99) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sliding door constructions forrailway cars.

One object of the invention is to provide in an anti-friction rollersupported sliding door for railway cars which cooperates with the usualtrack on the car, wherein the anti-friction rollers are arranged to bewithdrawn from the track to permit the door to rest on the track andthus be frictionally held against accidental sliding movement, meansthrough which the attendant applies the pulling or pushing force to thedoor and whereby the rollers are automatically projected to operativeposition to anti-frictionally support the door for sliding movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism as set forthin the preceding paragraph wherein the pulling or pushing force appliedby the attendant exerted to slide the door in either direction effectsautomatic projection of the anti-friction rollers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in combination witha sliding door for railway cars having supporting anti-friction rollersfor guiding the door for sliding movement along the usual track, meansfor projecting the rollers into engagement with the track, so arrangedas to vbe actuated in one direction by the weight of the door towithdraw the rollers from operative rolling supporting relation withrespect to the door to allow the door to drop on the track and rest onthe same, thereby preventing accidental sliding movement thereof, andfurther so arranged that the same is actuated in a reverse direction toproject said rollers to operative position through the pulling orpushing force applied by the attendant to slide the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination with asliding door for railway cars having supporting rollers for guiding thedoor for sliding movement along the usual track, means for projectingthe rollers into engagement with the tracks to support the door, andalso withdrawing the rollers from engagement with the tracks to permitthe door to drop onto the track to frictionally engage the latter andthereby prevent sliding movement of the door, and means for projectingand withdrawing said rollers including an actuating element which alsoserves as a grip for pulling the door to elect sliding movement of thesame, whereby the projection of said rollers is automaticallyaccomplished when the attendant operates the door.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide in combinationwith a sliding door adapted to normally rest on a track to prevent 5.5

sliding thereof, anti-friction rollers for supporting the door forsliding movement and cam means for projecting said rollers beyond thebottom of the door to render said roller operative, including anupstanding actuating lever which may be swung in reverse directions toactuate said cam means, the actuating lever also serving as a hand gripfor pulling the door forward or backward, whereby the pulling action onsaid hand grip serves to swing said lever to project said rollers tooperative position and simultaneously lift the door oi of the track.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from thedescription and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is anelevational view of the side wall of a car provided with a door openingand a sliding door for closing said opening, illustrating myimprovements in connection therewith, the side wall of the car and thedoor being shown broken away. Figure 2 is a view, similar to Figure 1,of the lower portion of the side wall of the car, the door, and theassociated parts, but showing the mechanism involving my improvements indiiferent position. Figures 3, 4, and 5 are vertical sectional views, onan enlarged scale, corresponding respectively to the lines 3 3, 4 4, and5 5 of Figure 1.

In said drawings, I 0 indicates the side wall member of a railway car,the wall being pro-vided with the usual door opening I I, which isadapted to be closed by a door I2 slidingly mounted on the usual top andbottom tracks I3 and I4. The door shown in this instance is of the metaltype and has longitudinally extending reenforcing corrugations I5 I5.The bottom track I 4 is provided with a longitudinally extending,depending outer flange I6, for a purpose hereinafter described.

My improvements comprise broadly a pair o-f pivoted levers A and Bmounted on the door; a cam C for actuating the levers A and B; anoperating handle lever D for rotating the cam C; and door supportingrollers E E carried by the levers A and B.

. The levers A and B are mounted on the door I2 adjacent the bottomthereof and extend substantially horizontally in opposite directions.These levers A and B are of similar design, except as hereinafterpointed out. Each lever is in the form of an elongated bar pivotedbetween its ends, as indicated at I1. The outer end of each lever isoliset downwardly at an angle to its length, as indicated by I8. Theolset portion I8 said arms flare outwardly and the ends of the shaft 20are upset to fit said openings, thus `locking the shaft to said fork I9,The roller E is freely rotatable on the shaft 20 and serves asanti-friction means for supporting the door on the track I4.

The pivot I1 of each lever A and B is mounted in a supporting bracket 2Isecured to the outer side of the door. The pivot I1 is so located thatit is nearer the outer end than the inner end of the lever, thusproviding short and long arms 22 and 23. The long arm 23 is taperedtoward Vits end, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, the arm 23 of thelever A being substantially straight. The arm 23 of the lever B has itsextremity 24 upwardly offset or arched and overlapping Jthe inner end ofthe arm 23 of the lever A, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

The roller carrying end of each lever A and B is preferably protected bya cover 25 which has a flange 26 by which it is secured to the outersurface of the door I2. The cover 25 has a vertical front or outer wall21 spaced from the door and parallel to the outer surface thereof. Thewall 21 is connected to the flange 26 by a top wall 28 having a curvedsection 29 merging with the wall 21. This cover also has a verticalouter end wall 3D having suitably curved sectionsmerging with the topwall 28 and the front walls. The bottom of the cover 25 is flush withthe lower edge of the door I2. As clearly shown in Figure 5, this bottomis open to permit projection of the roller below the plane of the loweredge of the door. Each cover 25 is also open at the inner side, thusaccommodating the outer end of the corresponding levers A or B for.vertical movement.A

The supporting brackets 2I--2I for thelever arms A and B are of likedesign, each including a housing section 3I open at opposite sides andhaving front and rear spaced vertical walls and horizontal top andbottom walls. The rear wallextends above and laterally at opposite sidesof the housing, said extended portion forming a flange 32 by which thebracket is secured to the outer side of the door. At `the lower end therear wall of the housing section 3I is provided with a horizontalinwardly projecting rib 33 which bears on the surface of the door `I2.As shown in Figure 4, the ange 32 is inwardly offset with respect to theback wall of the housing section to correspond with the projection ofthe rib 33, thereby providing the space between said-rear wall and thedoor for a purpose hereinafter described. The pivoted section of thecorresponding lever extends through the housing section 3| of thebracket 2l and sufficient clearance is provided to permit the requiredswinging movement of said lever. The pivot I1 of the lever is in theform of a pin headed at its inner end and extending through the leverand the front `and rear walls of the housing section 3I and having thehead thereof accommodated in the space provided between the outersurface of the door and the rear wall of said housing section. Eachbracket 2| is further provided with a` depending arm 34 hooked at itslower end to engage with the depending flange I6 of the rail I4. Asshown in Figure 4, sufficient clearance is provided between said hookedlower end of the arm 34 and the lower edge of the flange I6 to permitthe required lifting of the door to raise the same above and free of thetrack I4 and render the rollers E-E operative for rolling movement onsaid track. The arm 34 and the hooked portion thereof are preferablyreenforced by outstanding webs along the vertical edges thereof, asclearly indicated in Figures l, 2, and 4.

yA housing is also preferably provided for the cam C. This housing ismounted adjacent the `lower edge of the door substantially centrallythereof and is indicated by 35. The housing 35 has a vertical front wall36 spaced from and parallel 'to the plane of the door I 2, a horizontalbottom wall 31, vertical side walls 38-38, and an arched or curved topwall 39. The side walls 38-38 have rear right angular, laterallyprojecting securing flanges 40--40 parallel to the plane of the door andsecured to the door by rivets or similar fastening devices. The frontwall 36 has a reenforced bearing opening 4I near the bottom thereof,fora Apurpose hereinafter described. The inner ends of the levers A andB extend into 'the housing l35, as clearly shown in Figures 1, 2,and 3,each side wall 38 being vertically slotted, yas indicated at 42 inFigure 3, to accommodate said ends of the levers for vertical movement.Projecting from said housing above the top wall and slightly outwardlyoffset with respect to 'the front wall is an arcuate vertical flange 43having 'its upper edge -concentric with the axis of the bearing opening4I.

The operating handle D Yis in the form of a bar -having a hand grip'portion L44 at its upper end and an Ainwardly projecting cylindricalbearing projection, boss or trunnion 45 Yat its lower end. The boss 45is -journaled in the bearing opening 4I of the front wall 36 of thehousing 35 and is provided with an axial, inwardly openingangular'socket 46. At the inner end of the hand grip portion44 theoperating handle is provided with Aan inwardly offset, relatively shortdepending -flange 41 offset from the body of the handle and hooked overthe 'flange 43. This hooked portion 41 and the flange 43 cooperate toform retaining guide means for the handle D in its swinging movementabout the axis of its bearing projection 45.

The cam `C is disposed within the housing V35 below the ends ofthelevers Aand vBand is fixed to the handle D. This cam is of substantiallytriangular outline having a flat top face 48 and upwardly diverging sidefaces 49-49, as seen in Figure 1. The corners `between'the top and sidefaces are preferably rounded, as shown. The cam C maybe secured'to thebearing-projection 45 of Athe handle D in any Vs'iutable manner and ispreferably provided 'with va projecting boss of angular cross sectionseated within and closely fitting the socket 46. These parts are heldassembled'by a'securing rivet 5D extending through the outer `wall of4the-socket 46 of the Ahandle D, the body ofthe cam C andthe-bossof thelatter.

To provide'amp'le Vbearing surface for the'lower edge of the door on the'track I4, said lower edge is provided with angle bars 5I-5I havingoutstanding llanges disposed horizontally and flush with said loweredge. As shown, four such angle bars are preferably provided, twoextending between thelhousing 35 and the covers 25-25, and

the remaining two extending from the covers 25-25 to the vertical endedges of the door.

In preparing the mechanism for application to the car door, theoperating handle D and the cam C are assembled with the housing 35 byentering the bearing projection 45 at the lower end of the handle intothe bearing opening 4I of the housing while the upper end of the handleis held to one sideof the housing so that the flange 41 thereof clearsthe ange 43, and after the projection has been seated in the bearingopening, fixing the cam C to the handle D by seating the boss of thelatter in the socket 46 and securing the parts together by the rivet.The lever is then swung to position to interengage the flanges 4'I and43. The bearing brackets 2 I-2I are assembled with the levers A and Bbefore application to the car by slipping said brackets over the longarms of said levers and engaging the pivot pins I I--I 'I through theopenings in the front and rear walls of the housing sections of saidbrackets and the levers A and B with the heads of the pivot pinsdisposed at the rear sides of said housing sections. The entiremechanism is then secured to the door by rst riveting the housing inplace, then assembling the levers A and B with the housing 35 byinserting the inner ends of the long arms thereof into the housingthrough the slotted side walls, then securing the brackets 2I-2I withthe levers A and B assembled therewith in place on the door by riveting,and iinally riveting the covers 25-25 in place over the outer ends ofthe short arms of said levers.

As will be evident, the door normally rests on the track I4 with therollers retracted, as shown in Figure l. In this condition the frictionbetween the lower edge of the door and the track is suflicient topositively hold the door against sliding movement alongthe track. Toopen the door, the attendant after unlatching the same in the usualwell-known manner, grasps the handle D and pulls thereon in thedirection in which he wishes to slide the door. The pulling forceexerted on this handle initially causes the same to swing in the mannerof a lever about the pivotal axis provided by the bearing 45, therebyrotating the cam C in a corresponding direction. The frictionalresistance to movement of the door on the track, at this time, issufficient to hold the same stationary until it is lifted from the trackI4. This lifting action is effected by the cam C and the levers A and B,rotation of the cam acting to raise the long arms of the levers A and B,as shown in Figure 2, thereby rocking the levers on the pivots I'I-I'I,swinging the roller carrying ends thereof downwardly and projecting therollers below the lower edge of the door. As soon as the door is raisedclear of the track I4, the rollers are free to operate and throughcontinued pulling action on the lever D the door is slid along the trackI4, the rollers acting as antifriction means to promote easy slidingmovement of the door. When the attendant releases his grip from thehandle D or ceases to exert a pulling action thereon, the door will dropback onto the track due to its weight, thus forcing the rollers inwardlyof the door in an upward direction, rocking the levers A and B back tothe position shown in Figure 1, and returning the cam C and the handle Dto their normal positions shown in Figure l. The door will thus seat onthe track and be held against accidental movement in any position towhich it is moved. To slide the door in a reverse direction, theoperation is the same as hereinbefore described with the exception thatthe pulling force on the handle D is exerted in a reverse direction,thereby swinging the lever and rotating the cam in a direction reverseto the direction hereinbefore described to lift the door and project therollers .E-E.

As will be evident from the preceding description taken in connectionwith the drawings, my improved mechanism provides for automaticprojection of the rollers regardless of the direction in which the dooris slid by the attendant, and its operation does not entail the use ofboth hands of the attendant, one hand only being required to grip theactuating handle lever and exert the required pull thereon to performthe dual function of lifting the door olf of and sliding the same alongthe track.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrativeand I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within thescope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

l. In means for actuating lifting levers for a door mounted for slidingmovement along a track,

the combination with a housing for the inner ends of said levers iixedto the outer side of the door, said housing having an outer verticalwall provided with a bearing opening therethrough, said housing wallhaving an exterior, upstanding arcuate guide ange thereon; of anoperating lever having a laterally projecting pivot element at its lowerend journaled in said bearing opening of the housing for swingingmovement about a horizontal axis concentric with the arc of said guideange of the housing; a hooked guide portion on said operating leverengaged with said guide ange; and a rotary cam xed to the inner end ofthe pivot element of said operating lever,

said cam having shouldered engagement with the housing wall at thebearing opening to lock the pivot pin against endwise removal from thehousing, said cam operating with the inner ends of said lifting leversto actuate the latter.

2. In a lifting means for a door mounted for sliding movement along atrack, the combination with an operating lever on said door; of ahousing fixed to the door in which said lever is journaled; rollersupporting levers pivotally mounted on the door between their ends, saidlevers having forked outer ends; anti-friction rollers journaled in saidforked ends, the inner ends of said levers overlapping in superimposedrelation, with the inner end of one lever supporting the inner end ofthe other lever, said inner ends of the levers being accommodatedbetween the operating lever and the outer side of the door; and a rotarycam fixed to said operating lever and rotatable therewith, said cambeing in vertical alignment with said superimposed lever ends andengaging the lowermost of said levers to actuate the same.

ROLAND J. OLANDER.

